The shrine of Thomas a Becket, martyred archbishop of Canterbury, drew
hordes of pilgrims to Canterbury Cathedral during the middle ages. Among
the most famous of these pilgrims are those created by Chaucer in The
Canterbury Tales. The images included here will allow you to explore
stories of Becket and those who sought his help, as depicted in Canterbury
Cathedral's stained glass.

South Aisle, Trinity Chapel, Window IX: Pilgrims on the road to
Canterbury

South Choir, Window 2: A cripple healed at the shrine of
St. Thomas a Becket.

Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury called the "holy, blisful martyr"
by Geoffrey Chaucer in the General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales. Born
in London, December 21, 1118. Died in Canterbury, December 29, 1170.

South Aisle, Trinity Chapel, Window IX: pilgrims make an offering at
Becket's tomb

Becket's original tomb was in the Crypt of Canterbury Cathedral. On July
7, 1220, fifty years after his martyrdom, Becket's remains were translated
to a new shrine in his honor in the Trinity Chapel of the Cathedral.

The story of
Adam the Forester begins in middle left medallion. A poacher shot Adam the
Forester in the throat while another poacher carried off a deer. Adam
drinks the holy water of St. Thomas and is healed.

North Aisle, Trinity Chapel, Window 5, medallion 1: This window contains
more miracles of St. Thomas. In the top section of the medallion St.
Thomas emerges from his shrine appears to a sleeping monk. Miracles at the
shrine of St. Thomas were chronicled by two monks, William and Benedict.
The sleeping monk in this window may represent one of these two
chroniclers.

In the top medallion, St. Thomas, wearing mass vestments emerges from his
shrine. 2. A man with a swollen foot bathes it by the tomb. 3. A woman,
wearing green stockings, returns to the tomb to give thanks. Godwin of
Boxgrove takes off his clothes and gives them to the poor to give thanks
for his recovery from leprosy. 5. A woman with drospy comes to the
cathedral. 6.
She and her servant leave after she has been cured.

North Aisle, Trinity Chapel, Window 5, medallion 2 : A woman with dropsy
leaves cured; the curing of Godbold of Boxley's daughters. Godbold's two
daughters, both of whom were born lame, come to the cathedral hoping for a
cure. St. Thomas appears while the older sister sleeps and the younger
sister prays. The older sister gives thanks for her cure while the
weeping younger sister sees the saint the next night and is cured.

North Aisle, Trinity Chapel, Window 5, medallion 3: This includes the
story of Eilward of Westoning, who steals from his neighbor, Fulk, to pay
off his debts, and is brought before the magistrate. He is sentenced to
blinding and mutilation. St. Thomas appears, makes the sign of the cross
over his bed, restoring Eilward's sight.

North Aisle, Trinity Chapel, Window 5, medallion 4: Hugh the cellerar
receives extreme unction from the Abbot of Jervaulx and drinks the holy
water of St. Thomas. Blood pours from his nose and he is cured.

North Aisle, Trinity Chapel, Window 11, lower sections: An offering at the
tomb, a priest ministers to the sick, a man makes a thank offering, a
child, perhaps Cecily of Plumstead, sits up in her bier, Gilbert le Brun,
supposed to be dead, sits up and embraces his father, Gilbert's thank
offering, a funeral.
Cecily

North Aisle, Trinity Chapel, Window 11: detail 13, a child, (Cecily of
Plumstead) sits up in her bier.

Cecily of Plumstead contracted cancer when she was fifteen years old,
which ate away at her thighs, exposing bone and muscle. She suffered for
over six months, finally deteriorating to the point where she took no food
or drink. Her family and friends, thinking she was dead, prepared her
body for burial, but her father, in the extremity of his grief, prayed to
St. Thomas to return service he had rendered to the saint during his
lifetime. St. Thomas heard Jordan of Plumstead's prayer for Cecily
stretched out her hand and removed the linen sheet that covered her body.
In three weeks her cancerous sores were healed without medicine.

North Aisle, Trinity Chapel, Window 11: More miracles, including that of
John of Roxburgh. John, a groom of Roxburgh, was thrown into the River
Tweed by his stampeding horse. He was rescued by St. Thomas and crawled
along a bridge to shelter while two of his friends in a boat searched the
river for his body. Two women in the house of the tollgate keeper tended
his body in front of a smoking fire.